CORONER'S INQUEST.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 19, 19 November 1874, Page 5

CORONER'S INQUEST.

" •""•' "' '•»•' ■•• ~. .. An inquest., into the, death of John; Morton was held By E. W. Garew, Es'q:j Coroner for the district, 'and a jury, at the Bridge Hotel, Kaitangata, at 2 p.tn. oh Monday last. / } The jury having been sworn '.prbceedecl to view the body, after which evidence wato led, and df which' the "following is the .substance:—James Leys, master of the Wallabi, now laying at the jetty, Kaitangat'a, said he identiued the body now oh view as that of his fate engineer John |i!orton. He saw him last alive about a quarter to b o'clock on Friday evening, when he was' on. board the steamer. When near midnight he was called by the steward Pyrke, wh6 said Morton was in the water. He at once went to the river bank and found some or. the men belonging to the steamer there and some on deck looking for Morton. He searched as far as the first bend of the river below the steamer, but could see nothing of the deceased. One of the men 'found Morton's cap about four yards from the gangway. When the steward called hitfa, he seemed to be quite sober, But he 'afterwards noticed that he was a little the worse for drink. The steward explained to him that be had also been overboard in the water, and had taken some grog after he had come on board. He was wet. The body was found about a quarter to twelve o'clock on Saturday about twelve feetfrorh the gangway, and between the vessel aha the bank. The river is about 2ft feet deep at the spot. The current was not strong. He (witness) had heard deceased say Ho could swim a mile, if it was necessary, to save his life. Deceased and Pyrke bad been on board the Wallabi for .about nine months together, and had always been on good terms. He was a native ot Lanarkshire, Scotland, and was married, his Wife residing in Dunedin. Witness, was only aware! of deceased having had bne>gla'ss of beer, and two glasses of grog on board on Friday last. . He was perfectly sober when he last saw him. The vessel was laying within two or three feet of the bank of the river. The gangway, was about t'wo'feets broads with battens nailed oh. E. A. Pyrke— Was steward oh board the Wallabi, and had been along with deceased for about nine months. Abduthine o'clock on Friday night the deceased and I went on shore 'and went to the Bridge Hotel about a mile' from where the Bteamer was laying. We . remained till ; about half;' past 11 o'clock. During that time We had five "nips" of grog each. It was moonlight. When we left,' deceased was ' very little the worse of drink— n'6t such aa a stranger would notice it, but'after leaving he got very tipsy. When opposite Macdonald's store deceased fell upon the road and dragged me down with him. We both got up and ( proceeded to the vessel. I went on board first and laid down a parcel' I was carrying. I then w;ent on shore td assist Morton on board. I stood on the stage with my back to the vessel and took hold of his hand to guide him^ but he had only made one step when he fell off the stage aM dragged me with him on to the bank of the river. We got up and I again * tried to assist him on board in the same manner. JEEe made a step or .two and then went over the gangway dragging me with him into the river. We both went unijer water, he having a tight hold of me. - We both came to the surface together, he still having a hdd of me. I can't swim, butt made one effort and got hold of a bush on. the bank and pulledimyself n>. : When T was getting up the bank deceased let go hia hold and I thought he too had caught a bush. I rushed on board and called the men and ran back to the stage; I then, saw Morton about six yards down the river, but he at once sunk and I saw him no more. All the- hands were Tip at onee 1 and spme were on deck and some on the river bank trying to see Morton. There were two boats on board but none of them . were lowered. It would have taken six or eight mlntftes to' do" this, and it would have been of no service in attempting to save deceased. There was room for a boat between the bank and the steamer. Nd attempts were made to saye deceased by means of a boat.' Deceased never spoke after falling^4nto the river. I bad not a quarrel ,witn him that night or, at any other time. I thought I could have get .deceased quite liafely pn*boardi otherwise I would have rftdefired 'assistance. I understood quite well whatpfwas doing wheal* was going onboard. 1 ' * Vincent Allan, clerk to Mr John ,Wat- y: son, contractor, and residing at, Kaitangata —Saw deceased and P^-rke at the, Bridge V, Hotel about half- past eleven • o'clock Tpri' 1 . Friday nightr. Deceased was' then slightly .-"* 'the worse of drink, but' from his appearance^ .and conversation should say lie was inrafiti? state^to go.'o'nlbdardhis vessel. '£ He k%eyCsC perfectly well .what he was doing;^^rfc&K ; appeared to ;be,pel-feeti^^ R. F. Andrews, a duly^^ualifieirf^miedical practitioner- iresiding' at ,^ amined the body, were i some slight vt bruises on the facW^ by a fall from .off.^ a r*stage bh;ito (a; rive^:< bank, bulnptTsuch^ . deatti^^o : JaU-'ap'j^^ ■> abme to : Ms.^!^^^S\^pi^aM^i^^hi ti)) cause which'prod'ueed^ very;likeft-to;~6tto^^ . drowning^ 1 1 ' _;..-.- ■•-£•* ■*■);•' ; :^-M :^Ms.fiMsv \ Jamesßaird, ; poiice'constable, B^cltttnW^' Ustmi^fhim^oe^ioiM^^mm 2 yzrrhjz. Gdrpnerahdving^^ * '.ei^ence,sti§^ra , :~de&eaßefrcah^bi£